Construction management students take first at competition

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Construction Management Association returned victorious from the recent Associated Schools of Construction Region 1 Conference & Competition in Albany, New York, where two student teams tested their skills and received valuable industry feedback.

The college’s teams competed in the heavy civil and pre-construction categories. After teams were briefed on the construction projects they would “manage,” they began 10-12 hours of intensive project work.

“Each team developed a comprehensive proposal and prepared a presentation, delivered to a panel of judges composed of project staff, who evaluated the teams’ knowledge, preparedness and problem-solving skills during a 15-minute Q&A session,” explained Morgan H. Littlefield, of Columbia Crossroads. Littlefield was team captain for the pre-construction team.

The pre-construction team finished first among seven participating colleges after tackling a challenging, high-stakes museum renovation in Connecticut. The team delivered a comprehensive proposal that included a staffing plan, schedule, safety plan, cost estimate, constructability review and more.

Judges from the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. provided valuable feedback to further enhance the team’s approach in future competitions.

In addition to Littlefield, pre-construction team members were Aaron A. Almony, of Bel Air, Maryland; Clark A. Bennett, of Perkiomenville; Chris A. Fisher, of Middleburg; Noah H. Jumper, of Shippensburg; and Timothy R. Maguschak, of Weatherly.

“The time crunch was the most challenging part,” Almony said. “With so many deadlines in the first few hours, it was critical to make sure everyone was focused and working together the entire time, and overall, it was a great experience.”

The heavy civil team, judged by Flatiron Construction, faced the intricate task of constructing six bridge spans in North Carolina as a subcontractor, Littlefield explained.

“Despite being a young team, they rose to the challenge, impressing judges with one of the most outstanding presentations at the event,” Littlefield said.

The heavy civil team was made up of James C. Fretz, of Collegeville; Anthony M. Glotfelty (team captain), of Broomall; Aidan J. Lash, of Pennsburg; Ryan T. McNamee, of Williamsport; Ryan T. Renoll, of York; and Jason Wiedl, of West Pittston.

“This is a great learning experience,” Fretz said. “It really pushes the boundaries of what we learn and forces us to adapt quickly. I’ll definitely be participating again next year!”

“Both teams continued the tradition of excellence established by Penn College’s construction management program, exemplifying our dedication to learning, collaboration and professionalism,” Littlefield said.

The Construction Management Association, a student chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, is preparing for the ABC Construction Management Competition at the organization’s 2025 convention in Las Vegas in February. That team will consist of Almony, Fisher, Fretz, Jumper, Littlefield and Wiedl. To learn more, visit www.pct.edu/cma.

Penn College’s bachelor’s degree in construction management boasts a 100% post-graduation placement rate. To learn more, visit www.pct.edu/construction.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.